The main value-added logistics activities are part of what can be generally referred to as warehousing, which can involve a wide array of activities:
- Simple storage, distribution, and order picking are part of the inventory management systems of manufacturers, distributors, and retailers.
- Quality control (inspection) and testing of products before being sent to customers.
- Transloading international load units into domestic load units. This applies notably to container transportation.
- Receiving goods, breaking shipments, and packing (preparing for shipment). It can also involve packaging where goods are broken down into units ready for retail sales.
- In part related to packaging, labeling provides information on the product for consumers, such as brand and price. More advanced activities involve the tagging of units using RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) for distribution or retail purposes.
- Light manufacturing tasks such as assembly and customizing to country-specific (or culture-specific) demands, which include adding parts and manuals.
- A variety of reverse logistics activities such as returning empty packaging, recycling used goods back into the commodity chain, or container cleaning before reuse.
- Providing specialized storage facilities, such as to support cold chain logistics.
The transport activities of pickup and delivery are also part of the added value process since they support logistical activities and provide employment. Both flows can be terminal-related if long-distance transportation is involved (e.g. maritime, rail) or directly related to suppliers or customers.